Rotating ring assembly



Dec. 2, 1969 K- c. CHILPAN 3,481,131

' ROTATING RING ASSEMBLY Filed Feb, 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I8 25 27 S i i 1:43 2

Dec. 2, 1969 c. CHILPAN 3,481,131

ROTATING RING ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [I-IG. 3

United States Patent Int. Cl. D01h 7/64 US. Cl. 57124 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotating spinning ring assembly for spinning and twisting frames and the like, having, in combination with a spindle mounted on a spindle rail and a ring rail traversable relatively thereto, a rotating ring element surrounding the spindle and having external bearing surfaces of generally inverted L shape, with or without an additional lower flange, and a cooperating stationary air bearing housing element surrounding the ring element providing air clearance therebetween and having a single annular air inlet for the bearing surfaces. The air inlet consists of an annular air distribution member preferably of porous sintered metal, plastic or ceramic, having a multiplicity of air apertures.

The cooperating ring element and housing element provide an air bearing having extended passageways with the air distribution member located at the junction of the L, or midway along the base of the U if a lower flange is used, in each case generally midway between the exit ends of said passageways for equal air flow. The passageways also have air bearing portions with air bearing clearances and an air inlet portion extending across a substantial portion of the air distribution member, the air inlet clearance being increased a predetermined amount with respect to the air bearing clearances in order to prevent contact of the rotating ring element with the surface of the air distribution member and damage it as by tending to wipe closed its air apertures. Preferably, baffies are also provided at the exit ends of each of the passageways to limit the air flow for reasons of air economy.

This invention relates to textile ring spinning and twisting frames and the like and more particularly to such frames of the rotating ring type.

It has long been realized that the use of a rotating spinning or twisting ring carrying a free floating traveler would make possible higher spindle speeds and hence higher production, present production rates being limited by the presently accepted maximum permissible traveler velocity with respect to its ring, the latter conventionally being held stationary on the ring rail of the frame. However, heretofore, attempts to provide a practical ring spinning or twisting frame of the rotating ring type have not been'entirely successful, and for a number of reasons.

For example, known rotary rings, particularly those employing porous material such as either sintered metal, plastic or ceramic, characterized by a multiplicity of minute air apertures, require in operation excessive and widely-varying amounts and/0r pressures of air. For example, one ring may require times as much air as another ring of apparently identical construction mounted next to it, and it is not unusual for the cost of the compressed air for a number of rotary rings to be approximately double the labor cost attendant operation of the frames upon which they are mounted.

I have discovered that these deficiencies, which, of course, make air-borne rings both unreliable and expensive to operate, are attributable in large part to a number of interrelated factors, and may be solved in accordance with my present invention.

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Thus, in a rotating ring assembly employing porous material, there occurs an increasing degree of closing of the pores by wiping engagement between adjacent ring and housing surfaces, which will almost inevitably occur at least during the initial and terminal phases of operation, since the practice is to cut off the air supply prior to stopping the frame to allow the ring to come to a stop at approximately the same time the spindle ceases rotating. As more and more pores are closed, it becomes increasingly diflicult to transmit air through the porous material, so that expensive 50 p.s.i. air may ultimately be required for rings originally operable on relatively inexpensive 15 p.s.i. air.

T 00, improper location of the air inlet relative to the air outlets may exist, with the result that air escapes more readily from one outlet than from the other outlet, or such that air is permitted to escape from either or both outlets after having performed only minimal work. Hence, the free exhausting into the atmosphere of air which could still perform useful work is important, and this occurs because of the usual absence of seals, bafiles and the like, which could impede such free exhausting of compressed air and thereby conserve it.

Accordingly, it is the major object of the present invention to eliminate the aforesaid deficiencies by providing a rotating spinning ring assembly having, in communication with a spindle mounted on a spindle rail and a ring rail traversable relatively thereto, a rotating ring element within a stationary air bearing housing element mounted on the ring rail providing an air bearing having extended vertical and radial passageways with an air bearing clearance and having exit ends remote from the housing inlet air passage, and an air inlet clearance increased a predetermined amount with respect to the air bearing clearance and extending across a substantial portion of the outlet area of said air inlet means.

Preferably, air control means in the form of bafiles or labyrinth air seals are provided at the exit ends of the passageways leading from a single annular air inlet located at a maximum pressure point midway between the exit ends of the passageways for substantially equal air flow resistance in the opposite axial directions from the inlet.

The rotating ring of the present invention preferably has a tubular portion with an external cylindrical bearing surface and a flange portion with a planar bearing surface extending radially outwardly perpendicular to the cylindrical bearing surface, while the cooperating housing element preferably has a tubular portion with an internal cylindrical bearing surface surrounding the ring element tubular portion providing air clearance therebetween, a flange portion with a planar bearing surface extending radially outwardly perpendicular to said cylindrical bearing surface providing air clearance therebetween and air passage means communicating through said housing to at least one of said housing bearing surfaces. The cooperating ring element and housing element hearing surfaces thus provide pressure induced air flow through the passageways vertically downwardly between the opposed cylindrical bearing surfaces and radially outwardly between the opposed planar bearing surfaces to suspend and center said ring element with respect to said housing.

Still further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational sectional view of a portion of a spinning or twisting frame embodying the rotary ring assembly of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the frame portion of FIG. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side elevational sectional views of modifications of the rotary ring assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view of a further modification of the rotary ring assemblies of FIGS. 1 through 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a spinning or twisting frame having a fixed spindle rail 12 on which is mounted a spindle 13 carrying a bobbin 14 and driven by a tape 15. A spinning ring rail 16 is mounted for vertical reciprocating movement in the usual manner and carries a spinning ring assembly which surrounds the bobbins for winding yarn thereon.

The rotating spinning ring assembly of the invention, as shown in a first preferred embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, in general includes a stationary air bearing housing element generally designated 20 mounted on ring rail 16 concentrically with the spindle opening therein and supporting therewithin a rotating ring element, generally designated 30. The rotating ring element 30 surrounds spindle 13 and has, on the upper portion thereof, the usual generally T shaped track 31 supporting a C shaped traveler 40. Rotating ring element 30 has a bottom tubular portion 32 with an external cylindrical bearing surface 34 which extends downwardly from track 31 and an external flange portion 36 located between track 31 and cylindrical bearing surface 34 which extends radially outwardly with its lower bearing surface 38 perpendicular to cylindrical bearing surface 34. Air bearing housing element 20 is provided with an internal cylindrical bearing surface 24 for cooperating with the cylindrical bearing surface 34 of rotating ring element 30 and a horizontal top bearing surface 28 for cooperating with the lower bearing surface 38' of ring element flange portion 36.

According to the present invention, housing element 20 has an annular groove of rectangular cross section at the corner of the junction of its cylindrical bearing surface 24 and horizontal bearing surface 28. In said groove is retained an annular air distribution element 22 of generally inverted l. shaped cross section providing an internal annular air manifold 26 extending therearound at the bottom corner of said groove. Air distribution element 22 is preferably of porous sintered metal or open cell plastic or ceramic or the ilke, providing a multiplicity of air apertures for passing air under pressure therethrough from annular air manifold 26. Compressed air is supplied to manifold 26 through passage 27, pipe and a conventional air supply line 18, which line may be used to supply air to all the rotating ring assemblies mounted on ring rail 16.

As in conventional rotary spinning construction, a relatively small air clearance is provided between the Vertical. cylindrical bearing surfaces 24 and 34 so that when pressurized air is provided to housing element 20, rotating ring element is suspended and centered with respect to housing element 20 free of contact therewith, by reason of the clearance provided between horizontal bearing surfaces 28 and 38 as well as between vertical bearing surfaces 24 and 34. In addition, however, the present invention uniquely provides an air inlet to the bearing surfaces having its clearance increased with respect to the conventional air bearing clearance in order to prevent damage to such air inlet by mechanically wiping the exposed surfaces, resulting in closing of its apertures.

In that regard, air distributor element 22 has its cylindrical exposed surface 21, with its myriad air apertures, of a somewhat greater diameter than that of the opposing housing internal cylindrical bearing surface 24 in order to prevent contact with resulting damage to said air apertures. It also has its upper planar exposed surface 23 positioned somewhat downwardly with respect to housing upper bearing surface 28 for'the same reason, the increased clearance in each case preferably being of about 1 to 2 thousandths of an inch.

For most efficient performance, especially insofar as economy of air usage is concerned, a single air inlet is used, located generally midway between the exit ends of the passageways. In this regard, air distribution element 22, providing the single annular air inlet, is located generally midway between the exit ends of the air bearing passageways, with the air bearing surfaces 24 and 28 of the diverging passageways being of generally equal length and of equal clearance from their cooperating surfaces 34 and 38 for generally equal air flow through each of the diverging passageways.

Furthermore, in order both to reduce and further to control such air flow through the pasageways, a bafiie is used at the end of each passageway. For the radial passageways between surfaces 28 and 38, a cylindrical baffie ring 33 is provided around housing 20 extending upwardly beyond the free end of rotating ring flange portion 36'and closely spaced therefrom causing that air passageway to make a degree turn and so provide a flow restriction. For the cylindrical passageway between surfaces 24 and 34, a planar bafiie ring 35 is provided on the bottom of housing 20 to cooperate with a groove 37 of reduced diameter at the bottom of ring 30 providing a flow restriction thereat.

Before start-up, ring element 30 rests upon housing element 20 with their cooperating horizontal bearing surfaces 28, 38 in contact, but with the horizontal porous surface 23 of air distribution member 22 spaced from the overlying ring surface 38 because of the increased clearance thereat provided. In the same manner its vertical porous surface 21 is spaced from ring bearing surface 34 even if the latter contacts housing surface 24. With pressurized air supplied to air manifold 26 via supply line 25 to float and center ring element 30, during start-up, the yarn pulls traveler 40 around ring element 30 in the usual manner while ring element 30 is gradually accelerated to its running speed by the travelers drag along track 31 until the speed of element 30 comes up to that of traveler 40. But at no time during such start-up can element 30 come in contact with a surface of element 22 to cause damage thereto. The same is true when the air is turned off to allow the element 30 and traveler 40, along with spindle 13 and bobbin 14, to coast to a stop with element 30 again resting on housing 20. This is particularly important in view of the practice, at times followed by frame operators, of at start-up initiating air flow only a second or two after actuating the other frame controls, and at shut-down of stopping air flow up to a minute before actuation of such other controls.

In FIG. 3 is shown a modification that differs from the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, primarily in that its housing 20' includes a porous air distribution element 42 covering its entire working surfaces, with the air clearance surfaces thereof being provided by suitable air impervious coatings 41, 43 thereon, leaving the midportion of element 42 exposed adjacent the junction of the bearing surfaces 34, 38 of rotating ring 30 and with a greater clearance thereat because of the thickness of said coatings. It also differs in that its bottom baflle ring 35' has a groove therein which cooperates with the bottom of rotating ring 30 to proivde a degree turn in at the exit end of the cylindrical passageway.

Its operation is the same as that described with regard to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 4 is shown a double flange construction wherein rotating ring 30 is provided with a lower flange portion 39 extending radially outwardly from the lower end of the tubular portion 32" thereof, such being spaced a substantial distance below the upper flange portion 36". With this arrangement, the housing member 20" is constructed to fit between said flanges with the desired air bearing clearances. More specifically, said housing comprises an outer fixed ring 45 having an inner cylindrical surface 46 on which is mounted the open side of a porous air distribution element 48 of generally U shaped cross section, and having an annular groove 49 in its internal cylindrical surface to provide the desired clearance. The control of air flow through air distribution element 48 to confine it'to its midportion at groove 49 is achieved by the application of suitable upper and lower air 'impreviou's coatings 47, 49, respectively to the interior surface of said element, leaving an annular exposed band at the midportion thereof through which air can pass to said groove.

In operation, air under pressure will flow through such exposed band and, although occupying a somewhat wider annular area by reason of its passage through air distribution element 22, will be largely confined to groove 49 as an outlet, at the, bottom of which groove the myriad air outlet openings will be protected from damage by the surface of ring 30". Since the operation of the assembly does not rely on the air porosity of any of the other surfaces ofai'r distribution element 48, they may remain exposed to wiping by the cooperating ring surfaces, as will occur a't'least on the top surface thereof when the ring is allowed to slow down and'come to rest thereon, as during shutdown. I 1

FIG. Ssimply shows an additional, somewhat more restrictive, air baflie arrangement between the fixed and rotating ring elements, wherein six 90 degree turns are provided, by reason of the stepped groove provided by housing 20" and baflie 50 cooperating with the stepped end of ring portion 32'.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the spinning and twisting ring art that modifications other than those described above may be made as to the various features 'of the invention.

Thus, the provision of additional clearance at the air inlet may be accomplished, as described above, by providing a composite housing construction of both metal and porous material, as in FIGS. 1 and 2 or, with a construction as in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein most of the bearing surface is of porous material, providing the clearance by building up the remaining surface with an air impervious coating, as by plating, painting or otherwise coating it. Still another modification is the provision of the desired clearance by means of a recess on the external surface of the rotating ring immediately opposite the air inlet.

In addition to the feature of increased clearance adjacent the air inlet, the present invention teaches that, in general, there should be a single annular air inlet of restricted size located approximately equidistantly between the two air outlets so as to tend to balancethe two air flows through the passageways. Thus, in a rotating ring device employing an inverted L shape such as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, wherein the leg-lengths and the flow conditions therein are assumed to be approximately equal, the single air inlet is located at the corner of the housing so that air passing therefrom to each exit outlet must travel more or less the same distance. In the composite porous and non-porous metal construction of FIGS. 1 and 2, the desired corner location is also achieved in a rotating ring device of the inverted L shape. This is also achieved in the FIG. 3 construction wherein the housing-is comprised almost entirely of porous metal, by providing all of the housings exterior surface except at its corner portion with a non-porous coating or finish. This might be plated on, painted on, formed by bufling to close the pores, etc., and in the former instances might coincide with the plating or coating which could be utilized in some instances to recess the air inlet as previously mentioned herein. FIG. 4 illustrates the concept in conjunction with a rotating ring device having two horizontal flanges, the air inlet being slightly above the vertical midpoint of the housing to offset to some extent the imbalance of air flow resistance due to the weight of the ring. It also illustrates how the non-porous coating or plating might be applied to the interior surface of the housing. The plating or coating could for an extra measure of protection be applied to both the interior and the exterior surfaces of the housing.

At least in theory, a perfect balance is desired during normal operation between the two air flows from the air inlet to the air exits. That is, taking into consideration all of the variables including: the presence of balfles or seals, the added pressure or back pressure due to the centrifugal pump effect in any radially extending passageway, the length of the respective air flow passages (i.e., the linear distance from the air inlet to each air exit), the width of such passages (i.e., the distance between the ring and housing surfaces defining the same), the different work requirement imposed upon the air flowing through each of the passages (i.e., vertical lift vs. mere lateral centering), etc., the air leaving the inlet should encounter exactly as much resistance in flowing from one exit as it encounters in flowing from the other exit. Otherwise some air is wasted. In this latter regard, it is also most desirable to provide baffle means, illustrated herein as labyrinth baffles, adjacent the air exit for impeding the exhausting of air therefrom. The preferred labyrinth seal might. take various forms, as illustrated, but all cause the air flow to make at least one abrupt change in direction after passing from between the adjacent rotating ring and housing bearing surfaces but before being exhausted into the atmosphere.

I claim:

1. A rotating spinning ring assembly for spinning and twisting frames and the like having, in combination with a spindle mounted on a spindle rail and ring rail traversable relative thereto;

a rotating ring element surrounding said spindle; and

a stationary air bearing housing element closely surrounding said ring element and adapted to be connected to an air source;

said ring and housing elements having confronting surfaces defining extended air passageways therebetween;

at least a portion of said surface of said housing element being formed of porous material and defining an air inlet for introducing air from said source into said passageways, the clearance between said confronting surfaces of said elements at said air inlet being sufficiently greater than the clearance between said surfaces elsewhere along said passageways to prevent contact between said ring element and said porous air inlet of said housing element.

2. A rotating spinning ring assembly as in claim 1, wherein saidair inlet is located generally midway between exit ends of said passageways remote from said air inlet.

3. A rotating spinning ring assembly as in claim 2, including baflie means adjacent the exit ends of said passageways for reducing air flow therethrough.

4. A rotating spinning ring assembly as in claim 1, wherein said porous air inlet portion of said surface of said housing element is recessed in' relation to other portions of said surface.

5. A rotating spinning ring assembly as in claim 1, wherein said housing element includes an annular air distribution member formed of porous material and defining said air inlet, said air inlet being so located between spaced exit ends of said passageways as to substantially equalize the air flows from said air inlet through each of said passageways.

6. A rotating spinning ring assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein baffile means are provided adjacent the exit ends of said passageways for reducing air flow through said passageways.

7. A rotating spinning ring assembly for spinning and twisting frames and the like, having, in combination with a spindle mounted on a spindle rail and a ring rail traversable relatively thereto;

a rotating ring element surrounding said spindle,

a stationary air bearing housing element for said ring element closely surrounding said ring element and having air inlet means adjacent said rotating ring element,

the cooperating ring element and housing element providing an air bearing having extended passageways with air bearing clearances and with exit ends remote from said air inlet means, and

baflle means adjacent the exit ends of each of said passageways, for reducing air flow through said passageways.

8. A rotating spinning ring assembly for spinning and twisting frames and the like, having, in combination with a spindle mounted on a spindle rail and a ring rail traversable relatively thereto a rotating ring element surrounding said spindle and having a tubular portion with an external cylindrical bearing surface and a flange portion with a planar bearing surface extending radially outwardly per" pendicular to said cylindrical bearing surface a stationary air bearing housing element for said ring element having a tubular portion with an internal cylindrical bearing surface surrounding said ring element tubular portion providing air clearance therebetween, a flange portion with a planar bearing surface extending radially outwardly perpendicular to said cylindrical bearing surface providing air clearance therebetween and a single annular air inlet means on at least one of said housing bearing surfaces the cooperating ring element and housing element providing an air bearing having extended passageways with exit ends remote from said air inlet means with said air inlet means located generally midway between the exit ends of said passageways for generally equal air flow from said air inlet means through said passageways and said passageways further having an air bearing portion with an air bearing clearance and an air inlet portion extending across a substantial portion of said air inlet means and having an air inlet clearance-increased a predetermined amount with respect to said air bearing clearance of said air bearing portion, said increased air inlet clearance preventing contact of said rotating ring element with at least a substantial portion of said air inlet means.

9. A rotating spinning ring assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said annular air inlet means is located at the junction of saidhousing element tubular and flange portions generally midway between the exit ends of said passageways.

10. A rotating spinning ring assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said rotating ring element includes two said flange portions spaced from one another and said stationary housing element includes two said flange portions positioned between said ring element flange portions for cooperation therewith and said air inlet means is positioned between said housing element flange portions generally midway between the exit ends of said passageways.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,165 10/1959 Adams et a1. 57-75 2,932,152 4/1960 Jackson 57-124 XR 3,324,643 6/1967 Kluttz 57-124 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5775 

